Jharkhand police’s third-degree torture on Muslim couple for suspicion of theft

Bokaro: A very shameful act of police has come to the fore in Bokar, Jharkhand. A Muslim couple was allegedly brutally thrashed and tortured by the Station House Officer (SHO) and the police constable.

What is the whole matter?

Khaki uniformed men of the Baladih police station in Bokaro took a Muslim couple of the area to the police station on suspicion of theft. The couple runs a private school in Makhdumpur.

It is alleged that the couple was brutally beaten up by the SHO and the police constable in the police station. And like serious criminals, they were also subjected to third-degree torture. It is also alleged that police officer hit their soles with so many sticks that blood started coming out of the soles. His wife was also beaten up by the police and dragged by her hair.

Police called the couple at night in the police station

Victim Amanat spoke to our correspondent and said, "On the evening of December 30, a call was received from the police station around 7:45 pm. We were told that if you want to inquire about something, then come to the police station. When I said that we do not have any means, we cannot come now, we will come in the morning, they said that if you come now, it will be good for you and hung up the phone."

Amanat further said that the police did not listen to us and asked to come to the police station in the night itself. He said that we also sought help from neighbors but no one came forward.

"I told the neighbors that someone can walk with me! So everyone refused to go along. Then my wife said, "Let me go with you. Then my wife and I hired an auto-rickshaw and went to the police station," Amanat said.

Amanat further explains the incident. "The constable present there told us to sit inside. After 1 to 2 hours passed, my wife asked about the reason to keep us here. We have small children and the night is over, we do not have the means to go. At the behest of my wife, a lady constable calls the station in-charge (Nutan Modi)."

Police custody tourture

The victim further said that when his wife asked questions, the station in-charge beat him up. He said, "The station in-charge came to my wife angrily, grabbed my wife's hair and dragged her across the verandah, then dragged her to a room."

Amanat said that his wife was also assaulted by the male constable. He said, "Take her to the room and then beat her up. He beat her so much that she fainted. After that, the constable came to me and started beating me.

He added that the constable was hitting us on suspicion of theft."The police asked, with whom did you steal or with whom you got the theft done? I said, we have not stolen anything; So everyone started beating me together. He was treating us like a serious criminal," he added.

The victim told that he was subjected to third-degree torture. "They pulled even the nails of our feet due to which both of us were not able to walk. The next day our brother came to the police station and talked to the SHO. After the conversation, my wife and I were released saying that we can call them for questioning if needed," he said.

Amanat had the key to the neighbor's house

The victim said that his neighbor had given him the keys to his house. "It was on December 8 when my neighbor Yunus Hashmi was going to Delhi for his daughter's treatment. He told me to take the key to his house and sleep there for a few days. When we refused them, they said that they have faith in us and our honesty," he said.

Amanat said that "I was not feeling well on December 15, so I slept at my house. The same night, there was a theft at my neighbor's place. On December 30, we were called to the Baladih police station where we were assaulted."

Faith of the villagers

The victim said that the people of the whole village consider him honest. He said, "the villagers consider me a symbol of honesty and truthfulness. I had a lot of respect in the whole village of Makhdumpur. No one is ready to believe that I can commit such a crime."

Police clarification

When the Mooknayak contacted Bokaro's Baladih police station for more details, a woman police officer said, "Why would we do this? The allegations leveled against us are false and baseless. Higher officials are probing the matter."

Story Edited by Jinit Parmar